An infestation of maggots left residents of a block of flats disgusted - and blaming Oxford's refuse collection system.
Families living in the six flats at Slade Close, in Headington, made the discovery on Tuesday evening and called for Oxford City Council to take action to ensure proper refuse collections were carried out in the future.
The incident followed news last month that the council had delayed plans to introduce a weekly food waste collection scheme across the city.
It led to renewed fears that the controversial switch to fortnightly household waste collections was causing problems with pests.
However, Slade Close - like most blocks of flats in the city - should still receive a weekly collection, and resident Tracey Richens, 31, said rubbish should not have been allowed to pile up to such an extent.
Her flat is only a few paces from the block's rubbish shed.
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The mother-of-two said: "It was disgusting - there were thousands of maggots in the shed and stairway and outside my front door. I was shocked.
"We're supposed to have weekly collections, because we haven't got any recycling facilities, but it's been weeks since we had our rubbish collected.
"The council has cleared up the mess, but it should never have been allowed to happen in the first place."
Neighbour Sabrina Chant, 27, also a mother-of-two, said the rubbish had been piling up in the shed for nearly a month.
She said: "We have had maggots in the shed before but never to the extent that they have come into the stairwell.
"There were thousands of them. It was disgusting."
Joe McManners, councillor for the Churchill ward, said the problems at Slade Close were indicative of wider inadequacies with the city's waste and recycling collection service.
He added: "People should not have to put up with that sort of mess - I don't think there's any excuse and I'm glad it's been cleared up."
John Tanner, the council's executive member for a cleaner, greener city, said a small number of flats with recycling facilities had alternate weekly collections, but that most flats still received a weekly collection.
He said: "We have already cleared up the mess at Slade Close and will ensure weekly collections are always carried out at the site in future."
If anybody has similar problems with missed collections, they should call City Works on 01865 252900.
Posted by: Jock, Headington on 4:32pm Fri 8 Aug 08
I wonder if the procedure in the last paragraph was followed in this case? If so, and still nothing happened to correct the issues that's more serious, surely. If it wasn't followed, why not? Did the residents not know they could call to complain?
I wonder if the procedure in the last paragraph was followed in this case? If so, and still nothing happened to correct the issues that's more serious, surely. If it wasn't followed, why not? Did the residents not know they could call to complain?
In this case the enviromental health should take the city works to court or Oxford city council. One rule for private landlords and different rule for council owend properties!! [bold]This is what we call two policies council. one for private landlords & another for council owned properties HMMMMMM ???????[/bold]
In this case the enviromental health should take the city works to court or Oxford city council. One rule for private landlords and different rule for council owend properties!! This is what we call two policies council. one for private landlords & another for council owned properties HMMMMMM ???????
A woman has been fined £200 for leaving her wheelie bin out on the street for too long.
[bold]Who should be fined for this mess oxford city council or enviromental health????
Different rules for the authority & public[/bold]
A woman has been fined £200 for leaving her wheelie bin out on the street for too long.
Who should be fined for this mess oxford city council or enviromental health????
Different rules for the authority & public
Posted by: Keith Arthur, Talk Sport 1053/1089 on 8:18pm Fri 8 Aug 08
[quote][bold]The waterboys[/bold] wrote:
Can we have them please. We are running out of bait.[/quote] I will mention it on the Radio.
Keen fishermen will be have to be beaten off with sticks because they wish to live there!
Tight Lines everywhere.
The waterboys wrote:
Can we have them please. We are running out of bait.
I will mention it on the Radio.
Keen fishermen will be have to be beaten off with sticks because they wish to live there!
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